Improvement in machinery for manufacturing counter-stiffeners for boots and shoes



Z ShetsSheet 1.

J. R. MDFFI-TT. MACHINERY FOR MAN'UF URING CQUNTER-STIFFENERS FOR B0 AND SHOES. No. 178,869. a Patented June 20,1876.

2 Sheets-Sheet Z, J. R. MOFFI-TT. MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING COUNTER-STIFFENERS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

No. 17 869. Patented June'20,1876.

b vall! NPEIERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHERZ WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES,

PATENT QFFIGE.

JOHN R. MOFFITT, on CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING COUNTERSTlFFENl-IRS FOR BOOTS AND SHOE S.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 178,869, dated J une 20, 1876"; application filed May 26,1816.

reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making a part hereof.- 1 Y r My invention relates tothe shaping of the counter from the blank; and consists, primarily, in using a double process for-effectingthis, as will bemore fully explained hereinafter,'thefirst processconsisting in shaping them by means of a-former moving upon an axis, and 7 suitable means for holding the blank up to the former, and the second process consisting in molding the counter so formed over ga male mold of the desired form. By this double pro-- cess a counter is formedwhich suits the wants of the consumer much better than any other known to me. 7

Another feature of my inven'tionconsists in flattening down the flange by means of a pressure-surface which moves in the arc of a circle,

. the part which supports the'flange of the counter under the action of this pressure-surface formed with a surface which is curved to correspond. I Another feature of my invention consists in heating the surface of the blank when it is formed up upon the former by friction, in order to set the curves formed'in the blank; and still another feature relatesto the. apparatus'used in practicing my invention, and consists in certain combinations of parts,-hereinafter more fully described. 4

In practicing my invention the blank is first subjected to the action of the former a,which ismounted-uponand revolves with its shaft 0/. This former should be roughened,.as shown in the drawings, in order thatit may thebetter hold the stock. One end'of the blank is fed in between the former a and the presserroll I), which is mounted upon and revolves with its shaft 12 and the blank is carried between the'former a and its presser-roll b, and also between the presser-surface dand the former a, the blank being thereby curved to correspond with the curve of former.

'is that shown in the drawings.

This apparatusis the same in its general particular, which relates to giving a more permanent set to the curves formed in the blank 1 by means of the heat obtained from friction, and consists in moving the presser-roll b at agreater speed than the speed of the former a,

the friction thereby produced heating the blank. operated upon, and making it retain more per-' fectly the curves imparted to it by the former, and also polishing its surface, and thereby improving'the appearance of the counter.

In practice I usually mount the shaft 1) and the pressure-surface d upon springs, so that they may yield slightly to accommodate the variations in thickness of the stock. The

former a may be of a shape to both curve andflange the counter, or it may be so shaped as simply to curve the blank, leaving the flange to be formed wholly by the next branch of the process. I prefer the latter shape, which speed the roll I) at three times the speed of the former a. U l

The blanks, having been thus curved, (or

curved and flanged, if desired,) are taken by an attendant, who sits at the other end of the machine, and placed upon the male mold e,witl1 the lower part ofthe counter outward; and as the head Adescends, that part, f, of the fem ale mold which is rigidly attached to this'head'is brought upon the blank, and the sides f} f of.

the femalemold,which are-also carried by the {head A, are forced in upon the blank, this being effected by the movement of the head 13,.

which carries two inclined planes, g g, which act, respectively, upon the two carriers f f of the parts f f of the female mold. While the counter is thus formed over the heel part and sides of the male mold c, the flange is formed over the sole part of that mold by wiping over it the roll h, which is carried. by the head B. y In place of this roll, any other suitable wipingsurface may be used, but I prefer a roll, be-v cause the friction is less. And so of the female mold f f f: any substitute for that may also be used which will-form the cgunterron the .male mold. V

This process of shaping counters, consisting in first shaping them by means of a former, a,

Iv usually.

and then molding them in the exact form desired over the male mold e, constitutes the chief feature of my invention, and its great merit is, that counters can be made by my improved process not only with the proper curves to suitthe trade, but also, in all other respects,

of the exact shape required; and, so far as I know, I am the first to obtain this.

Heretofore counters have been made for the market either by forming them over a male mold, the process being the same in principle as the second branch of my improved process, and the apparatus the same in principle as my mold 6 and the means described for forming the counter overit,or else by'means of afornier and suitable means to hold the blank up to the former, this process being the, same in principle as the first branch of my improved process, and practiced with an apparatus the same in principle a3 my form-a presser-roll,

' b, or pre'sser-suri'ace d; butall counters made by the first of these processes were objectionable in that the material could not, by this process, .be'practically curved, as is necessary in the best counters, while all counters made by the latter process, by which process the main curves desired could be very efficiently given to the back portion of the counterthat is, the curves from top to bottom, and the curves at right angles to the curves from top to bottom, at the back part of the counteryet other portions of the counter were necessari] y curved in the same way, which is objectionable, even in cheap work, and almost wholly. prevents the use of such counters in severallarge classes of shoes.

By my improved process the curves at the back portion of the counter are properly formed, and yet the other. portions of the counter are brought to the exact form desired.

I sometimes use paraffiue, (supported upon the presser-surface d and against the presserroll (1,) which gradually melts, and is evenly distributed by this revolving presser roll upon the surface of the counter,-giving it a polish, and also partially waterproofing the ported by means of the cross-rod A, fast to the head A, and extending partly across head B. When head B begins to descend, head A moves with it, its Weight carrying it down, and both heads descend together until the part of the female mold rests upon the counter on the male mold e, which prevents the further motion. of the head A, while the further counter over that scribed i motion of the head B carries the inclined planes g g against the friction-rolls on the carriers f thereby forcing inward these carriers, and the parts f f of the female mold, against the counters upon the male molde, and also depresses the guide-piece G and lifts its counter-Weight G the guide-piece being on one end of lever G ,-and its counter-weight on the other end, and when the head B is at its lowest point the studs G are caught by the spring 0 and the guide is held down until the head B rises far enough to lift the head A, and until' the notched finger A upon the head A thrusts back the counter-weight, and

thereby releases the studs 0 upon the spring 0', when the counter-weight falls and throws the guide 0 back to its proper place. This is so timed that the guide 0 does not get back to its place until after the finished counter has been knocked ofl' of the male mold e by the mechanism for that purpose. This'mechanism is the needle It, which is attached to the arm 70 which arm is moved against the force of the spring 10 by the arm k and cam 70, so that when the shoulder of It moves under the arm k the spring 10 imparts a quick motion upward to the arm 7:} and needle h, which knocks off the counter.

T-heoperation will be clear without further description, except that the counter blanks are notched, so that the attendant'puts the center notch over the guide 0 when placing the counter upon the male mold e. The head B should be heavy enough to hold the counter What I claim as my invention is 1."lhe improved process of shaping counters above described, consisting in first giv-' 3. The mode of giving a more permanent set to the curves by running the presser-roll b at a greater speedthan the former a, as and for the purpose described.

4. In combination with the male mold e, the heads A and B.

5'. The guide 0,. in combination with the male mold'e and mechanism for shaping the mold, substantially as de- 6. The needle 70, in combination with the male mold a and mechanism for operating the 

